In a city that worships style but battles indecision, a new fashion-tech startup is rewriting the rules. Magnet App, founded by Dachen Tamang and Vriksh Panditpautra, is not just another e-commerce app, it’s a personalized shopping assistant, moodboard stylist, and rapid delivery genie rolled into one. After months of stealth development, Magnet officially went live in Bangalore in July 2025 and is already turning heads.
The Problem: Fashion E-commerce Fatigue
Fashion shoppers, especially Gen Z women, have long been underserved by India’s digital marketplaces. The experience has remained mostly static: infinite scrolls, uninspired listings, filters that don’t filter, and algorithms that miss the mark.
But the Gen Z woman is anything but generic. Her closet pulls from Zara to Sarojini, co-ords to kurtis, indie labels to thrifted finds. She wants style with context, not a thousand irrelevant options. She wants inspiration, not friction.
Magnet is built around this insight.
The Tech: An AI That Feels Like a Best Friend
At its heart, Magnet runs on a conversational, context-aware AI stylist. You don’t have to toggle 12 filters. You simply chat. Think: “Something cute for a brunch in Koramangala, under ₹2,000, nothing sleeveless.”
And Magnet gets it, mood, budget, weather, and vibe included.
The platform uses a combination of:
- Conversational AI that understands fashion cues, slang, and intent.
- Virtual Try-On (Magnet Mirror): See yourself in outfits before buying, no guesswork.
- Pinterest-style Mood Edits: Curated looks based on micro-trends (think “delulu-core” or “college main character”).
- <4 hour hyperlocal delivery in Bangalore for most products.
The team spent months training the AI to understand India-specific fashion contexts, like the difference between a “library look” and a “date night saree remix”. As Vriksh cheekily put it in a recent post, building this model felt like “raising a moody Gen Z child who doesn’t yet know why peplum is never okay.”
Built for Her Closet, Not a Catalog
Magnet is deeply personalized. When a user signs up, she shares preferences, sizes, vibe boards, even current wardrobe staples. The AI then begins tailoring suggestions based not just on what’s trendy, but what works for her.
And it’s not just what she might buy. The goal is to evolve into a “smart closet”, where the app not only helps with styling but ensures new buys work with what she already owns.
Fashion Marketplace, Reinvented for Brands Too
The story doesn’t stop at consumers. Magnet is also quietly shaking up the backend of fashion e-commerce.
Over the past year, the team spoke to hundreds of indie and design-forward Indian fashion brands, from streetwear labels in Delhi to boutique saree startups in Jaipur. A consistent pain point emerged: legacy marketplaces were extractive. Visibility was unpredictable. Margins were tight. Algorithms prioritized private labels.
Magnet flips the model:
- No unfair burying of listings
- Fast payments
- Transparent visibility algorithms
- Brands co-curate edits and drops, giving them more creative control
Early partner feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Many describe it as the first platform that “feels like a collaborator, not a landlord.”
The Founders: Dachen & Vriksh, A Duo Obsessed With Taste
Dachen Tamang, a former fashion marketer and creative director, has a sharp sense for visual storytelling and youth trends. Vriksh Panditpautra brings a product mindset rooted in personalization and systems design.
Together, they’ve poured themselves into Magnet with near-manic intensity, running thousands of user interviews, personally training the AI with real Gen Z prompts, and overseeing the tiniest UI details.
They’ve built Magnet not as a tool, but as an extension of how India’s young women already think about fashion: with experimentation, confidence, and joy.
What’s Next: Scaling Beyond Bangalore
Currently, Magnet is live only in Bangalore, with early access rolling out daily via waitlist. The app’s performance during this beta will determine its rollout to other cities, with Mumbai and Pune expected next.
The founders are cautious about scale, they don’t want to compromise on curation or experience. As Vriksh put it, “We’re not chasing GMV. We’re chasing delight.”
Magnet App Dares
In an environment filled with mass-market fashion apps, Magnet has the courage to slow down and prioritize relevance over volume. Its AI is not only intelligent, but fashionable. Its UX is not only quick, but playful. And its aspiration? To be India’s smartest, most personal destination for fashion.
For Gen Z women looking to shop like they scroll through Instagram, with flair, speed, and zero friction, Magnet may just be the ultimate vibe.
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